Description
Technology-based companies are forced to continually compete with a catalogue of products or services that is constantly subject to change. The future of technology companies is in the hands of product managers, business development managers or innovation managers who require multidisciplinary training. These professionals must know the phases of an innovation process. They must know how to structure this process to continually feed it with new ideas. They must choose the best ideas and turn them into proposals that end in successful new products or services. They must be knowledgeable about technology, but they must also have knowledge of marketing and finance to help company leaders make the right investment decisions. They must know how to present and defend technological projects duly supported by market data. The management of innovation in technology companies is precisely the common thread of the course. Managing the innovation process is what distinguishes successful tech companies from the rest.
Type Subject
Optativa
Semester
Second
Credits
5.00

Titular Professors

Previous Knowledge

No prior knowledge.

Objectives

1. Starting up, planning, performing, monitoring and closing a project.
2. Foreseeing situations that may have an impact in a project.
3. Assessing project results.
4. Estimating the required resources and duration when planning the project activities.
5. Mastering the specific techniques and tools related to Project Management.
6. Enable the students to analyse the different Project Management existing options in a critical way.
7. Developing Project Management skills in specific areas or disciplines.
8. Applying a humanist view to typical Project Management problems.
9. Becoming familiar with conflict resolution management trends.

Contents

1. The process of innovation.
2. Innovation as a competitive advantage of nations.
3. Ideas to innovate.
4. From ideas to projects.
5. Intellectual property and industrial property.
6. Collaboration strategy.
7. Organize to innovate.
8. The innovation strategy.
9. Innovation and entrepreneurship.

Methodology

The teaching methodology used in the on-campus modality is divided into four steps for each of the sessions that make up the subjects of the program:
• Students must prepare at home the previous tasks of the session recommended by the teacher: reading an article, watching a video, solving a practical case or exercise, etc. In this way, the student prepares the topic of the session and acquires prior knowledge that will allow him to take better advantage of the session together with the teacher and the rest of the classmates.
• The teacher dedicates the first part of the session to working on the concepts related to the theme of the day, encouraging debate and discussion among the students, taking advantage of the fact that they have prepared the previous tasks and are based on prior knowledge.
• The teacher dedicates the second part of the session to the analysis, debate and resolution of the practical case or exercise proposed in the previous tasks. In this way, the concepts covered in the first part of the session are taken to a practical environment to strengthen the student's learning. It is essential that students work on the case or exercise at home to make the most of the contributions of the rest of their classmates during the second part of the session, as well as make valuable contributions to the group.
• It is recommended that students prepare at home the subsequent tasks of the session recommended by the teacher, which aim to finish consolidating the knowledge discussed and worked on in class.

Evaluation

The evaluation of the subject will be based on the student's participation in class, individual performance and the grade obtained in the final objective test.

Evaluation Criteria

• Class participation: 20%
• Individual work: 50%
• Final objective test (multiple choice test): 30%

Basic Bibliography

• Schilling, M., (2013) Strategic Management of Technological Innovation, McGraw-Hill
• Tidd, J and Bessant, J. (2009) Managing Innovation, John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
• Trott, P., (2008) Innovation Management and New Product Development, Prentice-Hall
• Burgelman, R.A, Christensen, C.M, and Wheelwright, S.C, (2009), Strategic Management of Technology and Innovation, McGraw-Hill
• Scott Berkun Lecture: The Myths of Innovation, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amt3ag2BaKc

Additional Material

• Stage-Gate International www.stage-gate.com
• Hansen, M.T., and Birkinshaw, J. (June 2007) The Innovation Value Chain, Harvard Business Review
• Vicenç Aguilera, FICOSA, http://upcommons.upc.edu/video/handle/2099.2/3447
• http://best.berkeley.edu/~pps/pps/concurrent.html, Berkeley Energy and Sustainable Technologies web on Concurrent Engineering